The Oskaloosa Herald
ALBIA —
Michael Gleason Jr., 76, of Albia and formerly of Oskaloosa died Monday morning, Aug. 6, 2012, at the Oakwood Nursing and Rehab Center in Albia. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday morning, Aug. 9, 2012, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Oskaloosa with Father Jeff Belger officiating. Burial will be in St. Peter’s Cemetery in Lovilia, Iowa. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m., Wednesday at Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel; the family will be present from 5-6:30 p.m. to greet visitors. A Christian Wake Service will be held at 6:30 p.m. following the visitation. Memorials may be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
Michael Gleason Jr., son of Michael Joseph and Mary Jerkins Gleason, was born, Dec. 10, 1935, in Lovilia, Iowa. The family lived near Attica, where Mike attended school. Following his education, Mike went to work at the Automatic Washing Machine Company in Newton. He enlisted in the Navy, but was given an early discharge due to health concerns. Through the years he worked a number of jobs including Pella Corp for 9 years. Mike married Carol Ann Crist in November 1966. They were the parents of four children and later divorced. The family lived in Russellville, Arkansas for a time where Mike worked at the Morton Frozen Food Company. They returned to Oskaloosa in 1972; at which time Mike went to work for Clow Valve Company. He remained at Clow until his retirement in 1987. In his retirement he enjoyed fishing, his family, and particularly his grandchildren. Maple Ridge Assisted Living was Mike’s home for two years after his health began to decline in 2003. In 2005, Mike went to live at Oakwood Nursing and Rehab Center in Albia. During his residency at Oakwood, Mike met Vickie McKinney and during this time of companionship they married, March 22, 2007, in Albia. Mike was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Oskaloosa.
Mike is survived by Vickie of Oskaloosa; a daughter, Crystal Gleason-Sodak of Oskaloosa; three sons: Raymond and Julie Gleason of New Sharon; Chris Gleason of Oskaloosa and Daniel Gleason of Oskaloosa; seven grandchildren; four brothers: Bill Gleason of Tracy, John and Janice Gleason of University Park, Ray and Mary Gleason of Cedar Rapids, and Tom and Jean Gleason of Orlando, FL; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother and sister-in-law, Frank and Shirley Gleason and a sister-in-law, Thelma Jean Gleason.
